A conventional medium handling apparatus will be now described by exemplifying a ticket issuing apparatus which is connected with a host machine for issuing tickets.
The conventional medium handling apparatus comprises a plurality of hoppers for accommodating therein a rectangular ticket sheet which is folded along perforations, a medium separating part for separating the ticket sheet, a magnetic processing part for writing magnetic data into the ticket sheet, a printing part for printing printing data onto the ticket sheet, and a discharge stacker for discharging the ticket sheet. The plurality of hoppers are arranged horizontally and disposed at the lower part of a housing. The medium separating part, magnetic processing part, printing part and discharge stacker are respectively arranged horizontally and disposed at the upper part of each hopper. With this medium handling apparatus, the ticket sheets are drawn out from each hopper with a bellows shape, and they are separated, one by one, along the perforations by the medium separating part. A given magnetic data is written into a magnetic stripe provided at the back of the ticket sheet by the magnetic processing part. Then a given printing data is printed by the printing part onto the front side of the ticket sheet in the printing position. Finally the ticket sheet is discharged to the discharge stacker.
The conventional medium handling apparatus has such a structure that the medium separating part, magnetic processing part and printing part are respectively arranged horizontally and disposed at the upper parts of the hoppers, and the ticket sheet is drawn out from each hopper in the shape of a bellows and guided to these components. Accordingly, there occurs a problem that a space is needed for arranging the medium separating part, magnetic processing part and printing part respectively horizontally and disposing them at the upper parts of the hoppers, and another space is needed for drawing out the ticket sheet in the shape of a bellows, which makes the apparatus large-sized.
Further, the conventional medium handling apparatus draws out the ticket sheet in the shape of a bellows then bends the ticket sheet and holds the ticket sheet in a bent state to prevent the ticket sheet from being deformed. However, when the ticket sheet is issued upon elapse of a given time, the ticket sheet which is first issued from the apparatus curls by the heat generated therein, which is unpleasant to the touch by a client who receives the ticket sheet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small-sized ticket issuing apparatus capable of issuing the ticket sheet without deforming it.